Regulation of Short Term Letting
As part of measures to help address pressures in the private housing rental market, new planning legislative reforms to regulate the short term letting sector - as provided for in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 and supplementary regulations made by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government entitled the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 - come into effect on 1 July 2019.
The reforms are primarily aimed at addressing the impact on the private rental market of the use of residential homes for short-term tourism type letting in areas of high housing demand. Accordingly, the new provisions will only apply in areas designated as “Rent Pressure Zones” (RPZ) under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended.
Please note: from 20 June 2025, all of Ireland became a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ).
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Short-term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days.
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Homesharing (the letting of a room or rooms in a person's principal private residence) will continue to be permissible on an unrestricted basis and be exempted from the new planning requirements. Homesharers will be allowed to sub-let their entire principle private residence (house or apartment) on a short-term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days where they are temporarily absent from their home.
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Where the 90-day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission will be required.
If you homeshare your principal private residence in a rent pressure zone and wish to avail of the planning exemptions, you will need to register with Wexford County Council and fulfil specified reporting obligations:
- Form 15 should be completed at the start of the year
- Form 16 should be completed when the 90 day cap has been reached
- Form 17 should be completed at the end of each year
Please return to by post to:
Planning Enforcement
Planning Department
Wexford County Council
Carricklawn
Wexford
Y35 WY93
Or alternatively scan and email to: planenf@wexfordcoco.ie
However, where a person owns a property in a rent pressure zone which is not their principal private residence and intends to let it for short-term letting purposes, s/he will be required to apply for a change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.
For further information please see the below links regarding the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025 as well as upcoming changes to regulations surrounding short-term letting:
Failte Ireland - Short-Term Letting Register
Failte Ireland - Short Term Letting Register FAQs
To report a possible unauthorised short term let please see the planning enforcement page for information on submitting a planning enforcement complaint form: